Vedic Astrology: Aries, Taurus, Gemini

The signs of the zodiac evolve from one to the next, starting with the first sign of Aries. Aries is much like the number assigned to it, One. Aries is the initiator of new activities and give the impetus to begin any new project or new chapter of life. Aries does after all mark the beginning of Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere), where we see the growth of greenery and fresh new colours after a bleak, dark winter. This is the beginning of life and our path in life (like the Lagna of the astrological chart), when we are just developing the ego, our personal sense of self, the “I” that we understand to be me, the centre of our experience. We cannot function in the world without this sense of “I”, otherwise all objects and experiences would meld together and be indistinguishable, one from the other. Ego is required to exist in our human form, as it gives us the sense of duality. Aries is a Cardinal Fire sign, which is active, it initiates with passion and impulsivity. Aries does not think first, he just does as he is drawn to do. Aries rules the head and is known as the pioneer of the zodiac. Aries charges forward, a leader of others, as he is bold, fearless and confident. Aries, as the number one suggests, enjoys a sense of individuality and has an inventive spirit. Aries, ruled by Mars, loves to fix things that aren’t working properly, he is a problem solver. Aries is known to be self-absorbed, not thinking much of the needs of others. He does as he pleases, when he pleases. This is where Aries can run into trouble, when he is solely focused on his own wants and needs. He will alienate others from him with his selfish behaviour. Thus he must be sure to work with others, in an organised and logical fashion. Mars is the natural General of the Army, he needs his comrades at arms to fight battles with, he can’t win the war alone.

From Aries, and the development of our sense of individuality, we come to a place of wanting to develop stability in our Earthly form. Taurus is the perfect sign to develop this, as she is a fixed Earth sign, ruled by planet Venus. Taurus helps us to stabilise the fiery impulses of Aries into a practical and sensual form. Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, in which the “I” (number 1) begins to identify with its possessions (number 2). Here we really see duality taking form. Where Aries comes up with the new ideas, charging forward into life with great enthusiasm, Taurus helps us to shape these ideas into a felt, seen, concrete experience. Taurus represents the face and throat, the body parts directly related to the five physical senses, where we are able to touch, taste, see, hear, and speak. We start to meet the requirements necessary to fulfil our life-path; the physical necessities of life, the small comforts. We can begin to develop a sense of ownership over our possessions, and a sense of responsibility to fulfil our bodily needs, as well as developing self-worth. Where Aries is the very beginning of life and our unique personal identity, Taurus is linked with the early childhood in one’s life. To properly develop the brain, through scientific research it’s been found that children in this early developmental stage need a healthy amount of stimulus to create all the neural pathways required for a reasonable level of intelligence and also for a healthy sense of self-esteem. This so perfectly relates to Taurus, as the sign most associated with the five primary senses.

Taurus, being a fixed sign, can get rather comfortable in her rut. Depending on how she’s aspected in a birth chart, she can be at risk of creating a desire to escape from the responsibilities of life. Addictions related to consumption (mouth and throat), like drugs, alcohol and food, are possibilities when Taurus, Venus or the second house is afflicted. She just likes to have her pleasurable things around her and stay safe in her small comfort zone. Change can be scary when you feel so comfortable. Now, having a strong, solid foundation is essential to step out into the world, so having this comfortable and secure part of life to return to is necessary, but to leave it in order to explore further is a must.

And so Taurus leaves her space to investigate the realm of ideas, with the utmost curiosity. This is where me (one) and my possessions (two) meet the world of mental exploration (three – the forked path of options). Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, He is mutable Air, which is to say, He blows this way and that, never solidifying into any one way of being, never holding fast to any one opinion. He likes to try them all out, to experience life from many differing perspectives; they are all valid and interesting to him. Gemini is experimenting with life, he lives by trial and error. Mistakes are meant to be made, that’s how you learn after all. From this mindset, and from the stability and resources developed earlier in life (Taurus), Gemini learns many new skills which will come in very handy throughout his life. Gemini is all about taking a theory and putting it into practice. Gemini requires direct, lived experience to satisfy his need to learn and grow. Only through one’s own experience in the Here and Now, this very moment of time, can we grow to ever greater heights in our evolution as intelligent humans. Our learning doesn’t require success or achievement to be useful, though we may eventually gain success as well, but that is not the point. The experimentation in itself gives us parts of our self that we didn’t know existed. In the experimentation we become more complex, we develop more dimensions with which to meet the world. Our mind comes to understand more and more about the world around us, and this enriches us.

We are able to develop skills, talents, hobbies, and our mental capacity grows exponentially, from the firm foundation and resources that we procured previously in Taurus. Life becomes more interesting, diverse and exciting as we push the boundaries of what we know. Gemini and the third house of a natal chart show us what is on a person’s mind, what they think about. The Gemini area of a person’s chart is where they are always developing. We are never finished learning here, we are always trying new things, so that we can have direct, personal experience with which to better understand life.

Gemini is always flexible. He is always finding out what works, here and now, and what doesn’t. Gemini doesn’t care much for tradition, he cares for what works now, at this moment in time. A healthy Gemini knows what is appropriate in each and every unique situation. He calls upon his spontaneous intelligence to find that correct and most useful action or word when needed. He can get along with just about anyone, as he’s very open and curious with people from all walks of life. This can make him appear to have many faces or masks, but in a healthy Gemini, this is just him jumping into the experience in which he finds himself. He’s the most adaptable of people.

When Gemini or the third house is afflicted, the person will have difficulty being in step with the people around him, he won’t be able to stay in sync with his surroundings. He will have trouble being Present, in this moment of space and time. His focus will be off. He may be stuck in tradition, as he’s been taught in early childhood (as learned in number 2 – Taurus), or as school-teachers have passed on to him, from their books based on traditional knowledge that is agreed upon. When our Gemini self is being used well, we are flexible enough not to hold fast to what we’ve been told to be true or real, we learn from our own personal experimentation and direct experience. The Gemini won’t be satisfied with just being told what to believe, he will want to find out for himself how the world works and what makes sense to him.

As a personal note, I have noticed that difficult placements in the third house can indicate a person who has suffered trauma in early childhood, and a dissociation can happen for that person that keeps them from being very present, so as to avoid feeling the old feelings that being very alert and present would bring to the surface of their awareness (particularly Rahu in the third).

References: Kurczak, Ryan

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